News
Lack of Funds Stops Nigerians from Getting e-ID cards ―NIMC boss
Engr. Aliyu Aziz Abubakar, Director-General, National Identity Management Commission(NIMC), on Monday disclosed that most Nigerians are not getting the multipurpose e-ID cards despite enrolment into the national database due to funding constraints.
He said although, the founding laws of the commission stipulated that a multi-purpose e-ID card is given as proof of its activities, it is incapacitated by the paucity of funds.
Engr. Abubakar, disclosed this in Abuja at a press briefing to kick start the 4th annual conference of the ID4Africa movement holding at the International Conference Center(ICC).
According to him, the commission is majorly focused on enrolment of Nigerians into the database, where enrollee would be issued with a National Identification Number (NIN).
He explained that the NIN is the major identity of an individual stressing that the commission currently cannot produce the e-IDcards for everyone.
In his words, “The focus is on NIN, the NIN gives you your identity. Historically we focus on the card to be an output of what we do.
“When we entered recession, we stepped back and check and we found out that in the US, the social security number is the one that connects all the other agencies, in the UK, it is National Insurance Number, in India where recently they enrolled about 1.4 billion people, they did not even give them a NIN slip but rather, they just gave them a number.
“That does not mean that card will not be given because it is there in the law that we should give a multipurpose card that is secured but it is difficult right now to produce for everyone because it is the best in the whole world,” he explained.
While reacting to questions of alleged partiality in the issuance of the e-ID cards, he said; “At NIMC, the focus is first come, first serve at least for 99 percent.
“It is people that have registered in 2012 and 2013 that have already gotten their cards.
“That does not mean that some people didn’t get recently but the focus is first come, first serve.”
He added that in the next three years, the commission will focus on the issuance of NIN rather than card saying the technique increased the number of enrollments from 5 million to 30 million.
“The focus now for the next three years will be on the number and not on the card. We have like five vendors in Lagos that can print these cards, it is to get the funding to ask them to print the cards.
“That is why we focus on enrolling people and then harmonizing their identity that is wDr. Joseph Atickhy we grew from 5 million to 30 million records but on the ID cards, we have not done much.”
Earlier, the Executive Chairman, ID4Africa, said the event aims to bring together experts from across the country to discuss and learn about identity management.
Also, he disclosed that the conference will be launching a petition to the United Nations (UN) on adoption of September 16 as the international identity day.
He explained that if adopted, the day will be set aside for the celebration of identity across the world.
“Identity is an important aspect of human and once we get the UN approval, other countries will key into it. This is starting in Abuja tomorrow all the way to New York where other countries will vote,” he said.
Development Bank of Nigeria (DBN) has awarded a total of N13 million in grants to three standout tech startups at the 2025 Techpreneur Summit held in Lagos, reinforcing its commitment to innovation and inclusive growth among Nigeria’s micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs).
The winners include: BuyScrap, a digital marketplace for recyclable materials – N6 million; Qiqi Farms, which connects local farmers to hospitality and export markets – N4 million; Eco-Cyclers, a youth-led recycling initiative based in Enugu – N3 million
Alongside the grant awards, DBN also launched a new digital data asset, a first-of-its-kind platform aimed at enabling data-driven decisions within the MSME ecosystem.
The platform offers deep insights into business trends, sector-specific challenges, and growth opportunities—supporting smarter policymaking and targeted investments.
In his keynote address in Lagos, Tony Okpanachi, managing director/ CEO, DBN, described the event’s theme, “CTRL + SHIFT: Tech Empowered Movement for Naija,” as a strategic call to reimagine enterprise development in Nigeria.
“This isn’t just a keyboard shortcut,” he said. “It’s a mindset reset—powered by technology—to build a more inclusive, innovative, and resilient business landscape. From financing to innovation, DBN remains committed to enabling MSMEs to thrive.”
Okpanachi emphasized that the Summit aligns with DBN’s AMPLIFI Strategy, which integrates digital transformation, sustainability, and scalability into its core programs.
He highlighted initiatives such as the Digital Shift Workshops and the Eco-Innovation Challenge as key steps toward embedding innovation in Nigeria’s MSME sector.
Encouraging young innovators, he added: “The future belongs to those bold enough to imagine and build it. DBN is proud to support the ideas that will shape tomorrow.”
A major highlight was the unveiling of the DBN Data Asset—a digital platform designed to provide real-time, evidence-based insights into Nigeria’s MSME landscape.
The platform combines DBN’s proprietary data with external sources like the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) to offer a comprehensive view of MSME performance by region and sector.
Jeremy Dan Okayi, DBN’s Head of Strategy, Policy & Innovation, described the platform as: “A reservoir of insight, potential, and direction—built on two years of collaboration and shared vision. This tool will support informed decision-making across the public and private sectors.”
News
FCCPC Shuts France, Belgium, and Italy Visa Centres in Abuja Over Alleged Consumer Rights Violations
In a bold enforcement action, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), supported by the Nigeria Police Force and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), has sealed off the visa application centres of France, Belgium, and Italy in Abuja over alleged consumer protection breaches and obstruction of regulatory investigations.
The affected centres—located at Mukhtar El-Yakub House in the Central Business District and operated by TLS Contact, a Teleperformance Company—were shut down following reports that they refused to accept formal correspondence from the FCCPC regarding a consumer complaint. The Commission cited further infractions, including obstruction of investigation and alleged assault of its officers during lawful duties.
Speaking to journalists at the scene, Mrs. Boladale Adeyinka, Director of Surveillance and Investigations at the FCCPC, explained: “This is an enforcement operation against TLS. On March 25, 2025, we served them a letter to address a consumer complaint, which they refused to accept. Instead, TLS officers assaulted our team, and in a subsequent visit on June 17, they also allegedly assaulted uniformed police officers.”
Citing Section 33 of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (FCCPA), Mrs. Adeyinka emphasized that failure to comply with Commission directives constitutes a criminal offense, punishable by imprisonment, fines of up to ₦20 million, or both.
TLS has been ordered to appear before the Commission on June 20, 2025, to provide testimony, submit evidence, and make formal depositions. The company may be held liable for any financial losses suffered by applicants due to the disruption of visa services.
Despite multiple requests for comment, management at TLS Contact declined to respond as of press time.
Adedapo Segun, chief financial officer (CFO), Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC), has explained why there is a missing sum of N210 trillion in the company’s audited financial statement spanning from 2017 to 2023.
According to Segun, the missing funds are cash calls requested by joint venture (JV) partners and settlement to the JVs.
He spokeat a session of the Senate Committee on Public Accounts chaired by Aliyu Wadada.
Segun was responding to an alarm raised by the committee over missing N210 trillion in NNPCL’s audited financial statement.
Recall that Wadada issued a one-week ultimatum to NNPCL to account for the missing N210 trillion.
Reacting, Segun said, “The N103 trillion and N107 trillion are made up of joint venture cash calls that have been requested by the JV operators and JV cash call payments made by NNPCL, which are yet to be reconciled because governance procedures were not done at that time.
“That is why you see the description reflecting those two items would be washed out because they are two sides of the same transaction, which is the cash calls by JV partners and the settlement by NNPCL.”
However, Habu Sadeik, a financial analyst, in a post on X on Thursday, said Segun’s response was unsatisfactory.
Saidik faulted NNPCL’s response about the fund discrepancies, noting that something is not right with the audited financial statement.
“Forget about the senators’ lack of knowledge.
“The CFO’s response is not satisfactory. Are you saying that cash calls worth hundreds of trillions are just appearing on your FS only in 2024 without 31 disclosure?
“If it’s a cash call, why hasn’t the disclosure said so?
“Which cash call is over 100 trillion?
“Something is definitely not right, and I hope they retrospectively correct that FS.
“Someone somewhere did a chef’s work,” he wrote on X.
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